Instep-support.



J. W. ARROVWMITH.

INSTEP SHPPOBT. APPLICATION FILED MAR-.29, 1910.

Patented. July 14,1914.

KIN FEED STATES PATENT.

JAMES W. ARROWSMITH, OF MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

INSTEP-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July l4, t are Continuation of application Serial No. 268,46l), filed July 6, 1905. This application filccl March 29, 1910.

' Serial No. 552,238. 1f

port the instep of the wearer and thus to re-.

lieve or cure weak or broken down insteps. lnstep arch supports of the class to which my present invention belongs, comprise a metal plate arched to firmly support the instep from beneath and having one side bent or curved upward and so constructed as to ali'ord a somewhatyielding. support to the inner side of" the instep, together with a cover of leather or other flexible material. In order to ail'ord the yielding side support. it is necessary that the sheet metal of which the metal plate is formed he sufiicientl y thin to permit it to yieldto the pressure of the foot while at the same time it must not permit any material yielding of the support given .to the instep from beneath. In other words the metal plate must he yielding in one portion 'and comparatively rigid in another. For the purpose of aiding in securing the yielding quality in the side of the support, the upturned side has been slit to form tongues as described in-U. S. Patent issued tome January (3, 1903, No. 717.523, and asshown in that patent the main portion of the metal plate has been strengthened by a sepa'ate rein forcingplate secured to it.

The )resent invention is desi ned )artl Y to secure necessary rigidity of the main portion of the metal plate without the use of a separate." reinforcing plate and without the use of sheet metal of greater thickness than is desirable in view of the yieldingcharacter which it is essential should be possessed by the side.

It is also designed to provide means for preventing the formation of and for intercepting lines of crystallization which usually form. transversely to the longitudinal axis of the plate, and to prevent the slits in the side portion from causing the formation of such lines at their inner ends, as well as for other purposes.

lVith these )urmses in View in inven- 'tion consists in the construction and combination oi element-s hereinafter described and mrticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the complete arch s'upport; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View on the line 3-5 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings 1 is a metal plate having its main portion arched, to support the instep from beneath, and having one side portion curved or bcnt upward to afford a side support for the inside of the instep. In order to make the side portion 3 more yielding it is divided by slits into resilient tongues t, 4. Lengthwise of the plate 1 near the line of junction of the mainpon tion 2 and the upwardly curved side 3, is formed a rib or corrugation preferably projecting downward and preferably as shown lying within the arch of the plate for the purpose of stillening the longitudinal arch of the plate. This rib is curved and follows the curvature of the plate, with which it is integral. It is also bowed or bent laterally to a slight extent. As a further means of stitlenin the support the central portion of the e'g'e of the main plate 2 opposite the upwardly curved side is folded over against the under face of the plate asshown at (3, the line of junction between the plate and the turned over part 6 being substantially straight. The turned over part 6 corresponds in length substain tially withthe arch of the plate 9 and is re ceived in this arch so that the ends of the plate will rest on the inside of the shoe.

On the upper face of the main plate 2 is secured a covering 7 of leather or similar material which extends on all sides beyond the lines of the plate 1, and is secured to the plate preferably by rivets 8 which are on or ne the line of junction between the main portion 2 and" the upturned side 3.

By. the construction thus described an arch support is formed of one piece of sheet metal having the necessary flexibility in its upturned side and at the same time having the necessary rigidity in the portion which supports the arch of the instep from beneath.

The shape andsize oi the arch support will be varied to suit different sizes and shapes of feet and the covering 7 will be out or trimmed to lit the shoe in which the arch prop is to be worn.

lVhat I claim is 1. An instep support comprising in its construction a plate curved and arched to fit the arch of the instep and having one side turned up to fit the side ofthe instep and provided with a curved outer edge and having an upwifirdly curved and laterally bowed strengthening rib located at the base of the upturned portion and extending lon gitudinally thereof the curve of the rib con responding vertically with the upward curvature of the plate and. its lateral bow being the reverse of the curve of the outer edge of the said. upturned portion, the said upturned portion being divided into strips or fingers by slits terminating near the said rib.

An instep support crmiprising in its construction a plate curved and arched to fit the arch of the instep and having one side turned up to lit the side of the instep, said side portion having slits running from the line of ils junction with the main portion to its outer edge, and said main portion being provided with a curved strengthening rib at its line of junction with said side portion and between the inner ends of said slits and the body of the main portion and. a portion of the edge of said main portion opposite said. rib being folded over against the said main portion.

3. In a device of the character described the combination of a plate arched to lit the arch of the instep and having an upturned sirleportion to fit the side curve of the instep and also having said upturned side portion provided with cuts through the metal thereof whereby said side portion rendered relatively more flexible than the main portion of the plate, and a rib provided in said plate extending between the main portionv and the side portion and tending to partly isolate the said main portion of the plate from the side portion so that the flexure oi the said side portion will be partly checked. 5

l. An instep support comprising in its construction a, main plate curved and arched to fit the arch ol the human instep and having a side portion. turned up to lit the side of tho instep provided with a. curved outer edge, the construction and arrangen'ient beinc such that the plate is depressed and the side portion flexed outwardly under the Weight of the wearer, and an integral curved strengthening rib located at the line of junction-ot the said main plate and its side portion and extending along the same.

5. An instep support comprising in its construction a main plate curved and arched to fit the arch of the human instep and having a side portion turned up to lit the side of the instep provided with a curved outer edge, the construction and arrangement being such that the plate-is depressed and the side portion flexed outwardly under the weight of the wearer, and an integral curved strengthening rib located substantially at the line of junction of the said main plate and its side portion and extending along the same on a line parallel with said junction, but terminating within the edges of the support.

6. An instep support comprising in its vconstruction a main plate curved and arched to approximate the human instep and having a side portion turned up and formed to approximate the side of the instep, the construction and arrangement being such that the main plate is depressed and the side portion flexed outwardly simultaneously under the weight'of the wearer, and an integral inforcing rib located substantially at the line of junction of the said main plate and its side portion and extending along the same from a point near one end to a point near the opposite end, following the arch of the plate at this. locality and also curved laterally with respect to the longitiulinal of the n ain plate,

7. In combination with an instep support comprising a parteurved and arched to fit the arch of the human instep and a part turned up to lit the side of theinstep composed of n'ietal provided with cuts torthe purpose of giving it increased flexibility, a strengthening rib extending longitudinally of the support, curved upwardly to correspond therewith and integral therewith throughout its length, said rib located suhstantiallv at the line of junction of the said two parts comprised in the instep support.

8. The combination of a plate for sup; porting the human instep arch curved upwardly from end to end and laterally from side to side and having its medial portion at one side turned upwardly to correspond with the curvature of the inside waist er the human. instep and a strengthening rib integral with said plate, extending longitudinally thereof and located substantially at the line at junction of the upturned side portion and the other portion of the plate and extending approximately along the base of the said upturned side portion.

l iilness my hand this 28th day of March, 1.910, at the city of New York, in the county and State of New York.

JAMES W. AltltOllVShll'lH. Witnesses S. S. Nnw'roN, i l. W. Sounnu, Jr. 

